Automatic reversing mechanism.



T. H. PHILLIPS, JR.

AUTOMATIG REVERSING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED DEG.13, 1912.

1,077,748. Patented Nov. 4,1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

WITNESSES I INVENTOR ywflzyzgffi f omas Henley FhiHipsdr:

V% By W ATTORNEYS T. H. PHILLIPS, JR.

AUTOMATIC RBVERSING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED DEG. 13, 1912.

Patented Nov. 4, 1913.

I 'w 2 t I I5 7 r I INVENTOR Thomas Henley Phil lipsdn Br I W ATTORNEYS THOMAS HENLEY PHILLIPS, J'B, OF NEW YORK, Y.

AUTOMATIC REVERSING MECHANISM,

Specification of Letters Yatent.

Application filed'December 13, 1912. Serial No. 736,516.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, THOMAS HENLEY PHILLIPS, J r., a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented anew and Improved Automatic Reversing Mechanism, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive, simple and durable automatic reversing mechanism which will reverse the direction of rotation of a driven shaft-,and means carried by the shaft every predetermined number of revolutions orwith a fraction thereof.

I obtainthe above-outlined object by providing a driving shaft, a driven shaft, and transmission means connecting the shafts, whereby the driven shaft is reversed, and in which the reversing of the driven shaft at a predetermined number of revolutions is obtained by the relative ratio of the diameters of the transmission means on the shafts and any desired number of revolutions with a fraction thereof Within this maximum by the relative displacement of the transmission means.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which the same characters of reference indicate the same parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a washing machine embodying my invention; Fig.

2 is a horizontal central section through the device; Fig. 3 is a' section on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the position of the reversing pin at the moment of reversing; Fig. 5 is smnlarly a diagrammatic view showing the position of the reversing pin after three revolutions of the driving shaft; Fig. 6-

is a similar view showing the relative position of the reversing pin and the driving Washing machine, not shown in the drawing,

is driven. The drum is positioned on the shaft 13 which receives its rotating motion through the medium of beveled gears provided on the main shaft 12 and the shaft 13. The drive-n shaft 13 projects through a bracket 14 constituting the frame of the reversing mechanism and attached to the side of the washing machine. The end of the shaft 13 projecting into the frame 141' is provided with a beveled gear 15 rigidly secured thereto by a key 16 or in any other suitable way. The face of the gear 1.3 below the toothed surface is provided with a projection 17, the purpose of which will appear hereinafter.

The driving shaft ,12 bearing also in the brackets of the frame 14: is provided with two equal loosely-mounted beveled gears 15 and 19 meshing with the gear 15. The beveled gears 18 and 19 are similarly provided on their faces below the toothed surface with projections 20 and 21, respectively. One side of projections 20 and 21 is flattened and with this flattened portion the driving member comes in engagement. The purpose of this will appear hereinafter. lntermediate the beveled gears 18 and 19 and rigidly secured to the shaft by means of a key or in any other suitable way is a support or sleeve 22. The sleeve 22 is provided with a projection 23 extending longitudinally of the sleeve, but the length of it being such as to clear the projection 17 of the beveled gear 15 when said gear 15 is rotating. A slot 24 is also provided in the sleeve 22 central with the projection 23 and extending through the entire length of the sleeve, as best seen in Fig. 2. The bottom of the slot 2-1 converges toward the center portion of the sleeve. A

lever 25 is centrally and pivotally mounted in the slot 23 bv means of a pivot 26 projectshown in Fig. 2, the lever 2.3 engages the projection 21 on the beveled gear 19, and therefore carries it with it, the lever 25 being snugly fitted in the groove sidewise, and the groove extending nearly to the end of the FFIGE.

Patented Nov. 4,

member 25 reduces the bending moment of same to a minimum. During the rotation of the sleeve 22 it rotates the beveled gear 1.), as above stated, by means of the lever 25 contacting with the flattened portion of the projection 21 on the gear 19, thus, the lever 25 being the driving lever. In consequence of the rotation of the gear 19 the gear rotates as meshing with the gear 19, and the projection 17 is therefore rotating about its axis, and after a certain number of revolutions the projection 17 comesin contact with the end of the driving lever 25, which acts on the projection 21 on the beveled gear 19, and during a certain part of its revolution it forces the lever 25 into the adjacent end of the groove 24,-, thereby forcing the opposite chd of the driving lever 25 out from the groo\ e. Thereby the driven shaft 13 becomes stationary While the driving shaft 12 continues to rotate until the sleeve 22 with the driving lever comes in contact With the projectitm on the beveled gear 18 and rotates the same; The rotation of the beveled gear 1n rotates the beveled gear 15 in a direction opposite of the gear 19, and again until the projection or shifter 17 comes in.

Contact with the end of the lever 25 and forces it back again into the groove, etc. The action of the shifter 17 on the lever 25 begins always below or above the central axis, that is, the contact begins above or below the axis and terminates substantially on a central line.

To maintain the lever 25 positively in contact with the projections'20 and 21, respecti velv, and prevent any tendency of the driving lever 2 to disengage from these projections without the action of the shifter 17, and thereby engage the two projections simultaneouslj', a notch 26' is provided at earh side of the center on the lower surface of the love Engaging the notches 26 is a plunger 27 positioned in a hole formed in the bottom of the sleeve and central with the pivot of the driving lever. A spring 28 is positioned in the hole below the plunger so as to normally force the plunger against the lever 25. It can be easily seen that when the driving lever is displaced in either one or the other direction, either of the notches iaigagt-s the plunger 28 positioned on the sleet c 22. it can be easily seen that by varying the pitch diameter of the gears 15 and 1 and l.) the number of revolutions before the shaft 1;) will reverse can be varied, and not only after a complete number of revolutions can this reverse be obtained but with addition of an desired fraction of a revolution. The relation of the projections and 21 on the beveled gears 18 and 19 can be made relatively such that, when the shaft 1 3 is to be reversed the distance the driving lever will have to travel before it reaches the opposite projection will be as much as a complete revolution, thereby it will give suflicient time for the rotating mass positioned on the shaft 13 to reduce its momentum before it is reversed. This is very important,'as it will prolong the life of the mechanism.

In Figs. 4 to 7 are shown different positions of the shifter 17 during the revolutions before it is reversed, and the position of the driving lever during those The position of the shifter 17 is shown when the driving lever 25 isin horizontal position, lying on the side toward the beveled gear 15.

From Figs. 4 to 7 it can be seen that within the fixed ratio of the diameter of the gears the number of revolutions before the .driven member reverses can be reduced bv one or more revolutions by turning one of the loose beveled gears througl a predetermined angle in reference to the other loose beveled gear. For example. as indicated in Fig. 1, the driving shaft makes 9 revolutions while tl1 (.l1'i\'8n makes 71: and the loose gears 8. 5 revolutions. half of a revolution being lost due to the relative position of the projections 2-0 and 2]. This allows the reduction of momentum of the mass carried by the driven shaft, as before described. The ratio of the gears, for example, being 9/8, that is, the loose gears having 21 teeth each and the fixed one 27. from theabove it follows that for every nine revolutions of the driving shaft; the shifter 17 will displace the driving lever once. By dividing one of the loose beveled gears into eight equal parts. taking asa point of reference the projtciion on the gear, every part will contain three teeth. For example, by dis engaging the left loose gear and turning the same through of its circumference, that through three teeth, While the other gears remain unmoved and then engaging again with it the shifter 17 of the fixed gear will come in contact with the driving lever one revolution of the driving shaft sooner. That is, after every eight revolutions of the driving shaft reverses of the driven shaft will take place, that is to say, the reverse will take every 6.} revolutions of the driven shaft. By turning same through 4/8 of its circumference in the same direction the reverse will take place every four revolutions of the driving shaft or 3., of the driven shaft. ()ne revolution of the driving shaft is lowest between 7 revolutions of the d rivcn shaft and 5 revolutions, due to the position of the projections 20 and 21 of the loose beveled gears. In this case there i more time for the reduction of the momentum. as previouslydescribed. By turning the left wheel in the direction stated through of its circumference the reverse will take place revolutions.

for every single revolution. of the driving shaft or every half revolution of the driven shaft.

While my reversing device is principally intended for washing machines, it can be easily seen that it can be used for any other machine that requires a reversing mechan'nn for every predetermined number of revolutions or with fractions thereof.

Having thus described 'my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A device of the class described, comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, transmission means from the driving shaft to said driven shaft, said transmission means including means to cause the reverse of said driven shaft at a predetermined number of revolutions, which number can be varied by changing the relation of said transmission means;

2. A device of the class described comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of facing bevel gears loosely mounted on said driving shaft, a. bevel gear meshing with said facing gears and rigidly s-ecured to said driven shaft, a sleeve on the shaft intermediate said facing gears and rigidly secured to said driving shaft, a driving member on said sleeve adapted to engage said facing gears, and means on said rigidly secured bevel gear for causing said member on said sleeve to engage alternately each of-said facing gears after a predetermined number of revolutions.

3. A device of the class described comprising a driving shafta driven shaft, a pair of facing bevel gears loosely mounted on one of the shafts, a bevel gear meshing with said facing gears and rigidly secured to the other shaft, a sleeve on the-shaft intermediate said facing gears and rigidly secured to said shaft, a pivoted member on said sleeve, and means on said bevel gear meshing with said facing gears for causing said member on said sleeve to engage alternately each of said facing gears after a number of predetermined revolutions.

4. A device of the class described comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of facing bevel gears loosely mounted on said driving shaft, a bevel gear meshing with both of said facing gears and rigidly secured to said driven shaft, a member on said driving shaft rigidly secured thereto intermediate said facing gears and having means for engaging said facing gears, and shifting means'on said rigidly secured bevel gear whereby said means on said member are made to engage alternately each of said facing gears after 'a predetermined number of revolutions of said rigidly secured bevel gear, the number of revolutions of said secured gear being controlled by the ratio of the pitch diameters of said facing and secured gears.

5. A device'of the class described comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a pair of oppositely rotating members on one shaft, a member intermediate said oppositely rotating members rigidly secured to said shaft and having means for alternate engagement with said oppositely rotating members, and a driven member rigidly secured to the other shaft engaging both of said oppositely rotating members and having shifting means cooperating with s id means on said secured member, whereby said apps sitely rotating members are made to become alternately driving members 6. A device of the class described comprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, a bevel gear rigidly secured to said driven :dmfi. a pair of facing driving bevel gears meshing with the above said gear, said faring gears being loosely mounted on said driving shaft. a sleeve rigidly secured to said driving shaft intermediate said facing gears, said sleeve having a longitudinal projection on the lat eral surface thereof and a lateral longitudinal groove extending to the ends of said sleeve and central with said projection. a driving lever pivotally mounted in said groove and normally having one end projecting out of said groove and out of said projection, means in said lever and said sleeve to maintain said lever in normal position, said facing gears having means for engaging alternately the ends of said driving lever, said rigidly secured bevel gear having shifting means projecting toward said sleeve and adapted to contact with the'projecting end of said driving lever after a predeter mined number of revolutions of said gear and thereby forcing said lever into the said groove of said sleeve and thereby forcing the opposite end of said lever out. of said groove, causing the same to engage the adjacent facing gear to cause the reverse of the driven shaft.

7. A device of the class describedcomprising a driving shaft, a driven shaft, :1 pair of facing bevel gears loosely mounted on one of said shafts, a bevel gear meshing with said facing gears and rigidly secured to the other of said shafts, a sleeve rigidly secured to the shaft carrying said loosely mounted gears, a member on said sleeve. and means on said rigidly secured bevel gear for callsing said member on said sleeve to engage alternately each of said facing gears after a predetermined number of revolutions.

8. A device of the class described comprising, a driven shaft; a pair of oppositely rotating members loosely mounted on one of said shafts; a member rigidly secured to the other of said shafts engaging both of said oppositely rotating members; means intermediate said oppositely rotating members and secured to said shaft on which said 0 positely rotating members are loosely mounted; all of said members having means for cooperating with said secured means whereby the reverse of said driven shaft is made after a predetermined number of revolutions of said-shaft, which number may be varied by the relative position of said pair of oppositely rotating members with reference to the means thereon.

9. A device of the'class described comprising, a driving shaft; a driven shaft; a bevel gear rigidly secured to said driven shaft; a pair of facing driving bevel gears meshing with the above said gear, said facing gears being loosely mounted on said driving shaft; a sleeve rigidly secured to said driving shaft intermediate said facing gears, said sleeve having a longitudinal projectionon the lateral surface thereof and a lateral longitudinal groove extending to the ends of said sleeve and central with said projection; a driving lever pivotally mounted in said groove and normally having one end projecting out of said groove and out of said projection; means in saidlever and said sleeve to maintain said lever in normal p0- siti0n, said facing gears having means for engaging alternately the ends of said driving lever, said rigidly secured-bevel-gear having shifting means projecting toward said sleeve and adapted to contact with the projecting end of said driving lever after a predetermined number of revolutions of said gear and thereby forcing said lever into the said groove of said sleeve and thereby forcing the opposite end of'said lever out of said groove, causing the same to engage the adjacent facing gear to cause the reverse of the driven shaft, said number of revolutions of said rigidly secured bevel gear before it reverses being controlled by the relative position of said engaging means on said loosely mounted bevel gears with reference to said shifting means.

10. A device of the class described comprising adriving shaft; a a driven shaft; transmission means from the driving shaft to the driven shaft; a support rigidly secured to said driving shaft; and means on said support coacting with said transmission means whereby said driven shaft is made to' reverse at a predetermined number of revolutions, which number can be varied by changing the relation of said transmission means.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS HENLEY PHILLIPS, JR.

Witnesses:

BENEDICT Jorrn, PHILIP D. RoLLHAUs. 

